69th Hong Kong Schools Speech Festival

20 November to 20 December 2017

Rules and Regulations English Speech

* For some classes, there are requirements and details given in the class description of the

Syllabus. Such information is also an integral part of the Rules and Regulations which

members / competitors must also take note of and observe.

* Unless it is otherwise specified, when the class concerned is a duo class or a group class,

the term “competitor” refers to a competing team, not the individual member(s) of a

team.

All competitors must be students of members of the Hong Kong Schools Music and Speech

Association (the Association) and must enter the Festival through such members. Members

may enter their own students only (please refer to 1.2 for duo classes). It is the members’

responsibility to inform their students of every detail about the competitions. The

Association will not approach individual competitors. It is the responsibility of members /

competitors to ensure that information given on the entry forms is valid, complete and meet

the requirements of respective classes. The Association disclaims responsibility for

checking the details given on the entry forms. Submission of an entry implies consent from

the members / competitors to abide by these Rules and Regulations and will strictly observe

the Rules and Regulations. Under no circumstances will refund of the entry fees be made.

If competitors are found to have violated the Rules and Regulations, whether before, during

or after the competition, the violation may result in:

(i) disqualification – the competitors are not permitted to participate in the competitions; or

(ii) the competitors may participate in the competitions and be given comments, but they

will not be awarded any marks or certificates; or

(iii) the competitors may participate in the competitions but the marks will be affected.

1. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Competitors must be Hong Kong students who are aged between 5 and 23 and attending

whole-day school / half-day school in kindergarten, primary, secondary and special

schools, or studying full-time in universities / post-secondary institutes in Hong Kong.

Students attending university / post-secondary institute may enter the Festival on their

own and they may only enter N196 (See 1.3).

1.1 Group Entries are open for School Members only. Group entries must comprise of

students in the same school. These entries include classes of Harmonic Speaking,

Choral Speaking, Public Speaking Team, Words and Movements, Thematic Group

Speaking, Improvised Dramatic Scenes, Dramatic Scenes and Rehearsed Original

Scene.

1.2 Solo / Duo Entries include solos and duos except class 196. In duo classes, at least one of the competitors must be the student of the member that enters them.

1.3 Class 196 (Public Speaking Solo - Secondary 6 and University / Post-secondary) opens to students who are aged under 23 and study full-time in secondary 6 education level, or in one of the institutes listed in the List of Universities and Post-secondary Institutes Eligible to Enter the Speech Festival in Annex 1.

1.4 Native English speakers may only enter open classes.

2. ENROLLMENT 2.1 Entry Forms

2.1.1 e-Entry Form – On-line Enrollment System Members can logon the On-line Enrollment System and fill in competitors’ particulars for enrollment.

2.1.2 Entry Form (printable version) – Member’s Area Members can download the formatted entry forms from the Association website with their membership number and password. The entry forms must be printed out with a full coverage of details on white blank A4 size (210mm x 297mm) paper. The Association reserves the right to reject any entry forms which are not in the officially approved format. The three types of entry forms are listed as follows: (i) Group Entry Form (for classes stated in 1.1) (ii) Duo Entry Form (for classes 223-225) (iii) Solo Entry Form (for classes stated in 1.2 and 1.3) Members must submit the correct type(s) of entry forms.

2.1.3 University / Post-secondary students who wish to enter class 196 may submit their request for Entry Form for University / Post-secondary Students through the Association website.

2.1.4 ONE entry form can only be used for ONE entry. 2.1.5 Competitors should use their names identical to that of their Hong Kong ID

cards / birth certificates for all the entries. 2.2 Substitution or swapping of competitors, and change of names, class numbers or

area codes will not be permitted after the submission of entry forms. 2.3 Competitors entering more than one class (including English Speech and Chinese

Speech) may bear a risk of time clash. This may result in their own decision whether to attend the competition(s) or not.

2.4 Competitors should enter classes according to the age, education level (primary 1 to secondary 6) or gender stipulated in the current Syllabus. Competitors who fail to do so will be disqualified.

2.5 In all classes where an age requirement is stipulated, the governing date shall be 31 December 2017. Examples:

Aged 23 and under Born on or after 1 January 1994

Aged 5 and over Born before 1 January 2013

2.6 Area Code 2.6.1 U denotes Urban district (including Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, outlying

island and Sai Kung). 2.6.2 E denotes the New Territories East district (including Sheung Shui, Fanling,

Tai Po and Shatin). 2.6.3 K denotes Tsuen Wan and Kwai Chung districts (including Tsing Yi). 2.6.4 Y denotes Tuen Mun and Yuen Long districts (including Tin Shui Wai). 2.6.5 N denotes classes which will not be divided into districts. These competitions

may be held at any venues in U/E/K/Y districts. These classes include Open, Bible Speaking, Public Speaking, Words and Movements, Thematic Group Speaking and Drama except classes 200-201 and 214-215 and Original Poetry Composition.

2.6.6 Except N classes, competitors may choose to compete in any one district in U/E/K/Y.

2.7 The Association reserves the right to allocate any competitions to be held in any venues.

2.8 In any district where a class has only four or fewer entries, the Association reserves the right to group them up with the same class in other districts. If the merge is impossible, such competitions may be cancelled.

2.9 Entry Form Submission Period 2.9.1 On-line Enrollment: On-line entries will be accepted from 10:00 a.m.

on 28 August 2017 to 5:00 p.m. on 21 September 2017. 2.9.2 In person: Entries submitted in person will be accepted from 1

September to 5:00 p.m. on 19 September 2017. 2.9.3 Under no circumstances will late entries be accepted. 2.9.4 Depending on the classes entered, competitors may be required to submit

other information / documents. Please refer to the Important Dates to be Noted in Annex 2 or on the Association website for the deadlines.

2.10 Entry Fees 2.10.1 Please refer to the current Syllabus for the entry fee of each class. 2.10.2 Except for those competitions cancelled by the Association under 2.8, no

fees will be refunded, regardless of any reason (such as class suspension ordered by the Education Bureau, violation of Rules and Regulations, not being able to obtain the books required or not being able to attend competitions due to sickness, personal reasons, school events, etc.).

2.11 Entry Forms Submission 2.11.1 The Association reserves the right to reject entries without required

supporting documents. 2.11.2 On-line Enrollment

Members should compile competitors’ entries and submit to the On-line Enrollment System before the on-line submission deadline. Settle the payment by post with the following attachments the latest 26 September 2017:

(i) Payment Advice (PA – downloadable from the On-line Enrollment System);

(ii) Cheque / cashier order (one cheque / cashier order for one payment advice only); and

(iii) A stamped and self-addressed envelope for the return of the payment receipt.

The Association accepts no responsibility for any loss, delay or damage during postal delivery. The receiving date of the above documents shall be in reference with the postmark.

2.11.3 In Person Members or the delegated persons must bring to the Association: (i) the original membership card; (ii) all the entry forms; (iii) the completed Payment Record Form (PRF); and (iv) ONE cheque / cashier order in the amount of the sum of the entry

fees. The Association will issue a payment receipt and return the original membership card to the member or the delegated person.

2.11.4 University / Post-secondary students must submit photocopies of their student ID cards with their entry forms.

2.12 If members have not completed the enrollment procedures, his / her students cannot enter the competitions. Any entry forms or documents already submitted to the Association will be destroyed without further notice.

2.13 Entry Form Receipts Each entry form submitted will be issued with an Entry Form Receipt (EFR). Members can download the Entry Form Receipts from the Association website from 24 October 2017 onwards for distribution to their students. University / Post-secondary students who enter on their own must collect the Entry Form Receipts with their student ID cards at the Association from the aforesaid date onwards.

2.14 Competition Notifications For the identification of competitor’s status, the Association will issue a Competition Notification (CN) for each and every class that the competitor has entered in, i.e. if a competitor has entered two classes, he / she will be given two Competition Notifications. Members must bring along their original membership cards to collect the Competition Notifications at the Association from 10:00 a.m. on 31 October 2017 onwards for distribution to their students. University / Post-secondary students who have entered on their own must collect the Competition Notifications with their student ID cards at the Association from the aforesaid date onwards.

3. REGULATIONS 3.1 General Rules

3.1.1 The Association reserves the right to make any amendments to the Syllabus. The amendment, if any, will be posted on the Association website. The most updated version posted on the Association website overrides the previous ones.

3.1.2 The Association reserves the right to allocate a competition in any session on any date and at any venue within the Festival period. Usually there will be three sessions, i.e. morning, afternoon and evening sessions, set for each day. Each session will normally last for three to four hours.

3.1.3 Depending on the number of entries in each class and the length of time required for the piece, the Association will allocate competitors of the same class into a number of groups. Each group, being judged by one adjudicator, is independent of the others and so are the results.

3.1.4 The Association reserves the right to make changes, modifications and cancellations of any arrangements for the Festival as it may deem necessary or expedient.

3.1.5 Competition information is given on the Competition Notifications. Members / Competitors can also access the details from the Festival Timetable posted on the Association website with: (i) the membership number and password; or (ii) the reference number as shown on the Entry Form Receipt. If a request for change is to be made, please refer to Annex 3 for the items that may be allowed to be altered, the application dates and procedure, the fees, and the required documents. The altered items will be updated to the on-line Festival Timetable – Revised Version. Please refer to the Important Dates to be Noted in Annex 2 or on the Association website for the release dates of the above documents / timetables.

3.1.6 The Association will decide on the full schedule of all competitions. The order of competitors’ performance and groupings for each competition will be assigned by ballot draws. Competitors who fail to perform according to the published order will be considered performing “not in assigned order”. They will only be given comments. Neither marks nor certificates will be awarded to them.

3.1.7 Competitors should report to the Festival assistants at the Reporting Time specified on the Competition Notification. Once the competition starts, the adjudicator / Festival assistants have the right to refuse anyone (including competitors) from entering the venue. As a result, a competitor may miss important announcements or his / her assigned order.

3.1.8 No alternative arrangement (such as re-scheduling of competitions, re-allocating competitors to other groups, etc.) will be made for competitions which the Association has to cancel or for competitors who do not attend as scheduled, whatever the reason.

3.1.9 Competitors must bring with them the required valid documents to report to the Festival assistants. For verification of their identity, spot checking will be made. Competitors failing to present such documents to the Festival assistants before they perform will only be given comments. Neither marks nor certificates will be awarded to them. The required documents are as follows: Solo or duo class competitors must bring: (i) the Competition Notification; and (ii) the student ID card / student handbook / Hong Kong ID card / travel

document, all of which must be original and bear a recent photo. Group class competitors must bring: (i) the Competition Notification; (ii) the student ID card / student handbook / Hong Kong ID card / travel

document, all of which must be original and bear a recent photo; and (iii) the completed Competitors’ List. Competing teams should download

the Competitors’ List (Group Classes) from the Association website. They must complete the form with names, dates of birth and education level of each member, the signature of principal / responsible teacher and school chop.

3.1.10 When the Festival assistant calls upon a competitor to perform, he / she will read out the competitor’s assigned order as well as the competitor’s name, both in English.

3.1.11 The adjudicator may stop a competitor who is not well prepared or does not perform up to the required standard and competitors’ marks will be affected.

3.1.12 Before the announcement of results, no one (including competitors, teachers and parents) is permitted to approach the adjudicators. Anyone who violates this rule may be asked to leave the venue. If the person is a competitor, he / she will only be given comments. Neither marks nor certificates will be awarded to him / her. When enquiries are to be made, the Festival assistants should be the persons to be approached.

3.1.13 No audio-visual equipment for any purpose will be allowed for all classes unless otherwise specified. Competitors who violate this rule will only be given comments. Neither marks nor certificates will be awarded to them.

3.1.14 Prompting, cueing or conducting is not allowed during competitions except for Harmonic Speaking (90-92, 94-96, 98-99), Dramatic Scenes (219-222) and Rehearsed Original Scene (228-230) classes. Violation will lead to the competitors’ marks being affected.

3.1.15 Neat, tidy and appropriate attire is required during competition. 3.2 Number of Entries

3.2.1 Schools can enter more than one team in the same group / class. However, the members of one team must be entirely different from the members of other team(s) entering the same class. Competitors who violate this rule will only be given comments. Neither marks nor certificates will be awarded to them.

3.2.2 Competitors of Solo / Duo entries are allowed to enter only once in the same class.

3.2.3 Each competitor can only enter one class in the same level / grade / age. This rule also applies to solo verse speaking (non-open) classes (20-70).

3.2.4 Competitors / individual members of Duo entries who fail to follow the rules on the number of entries stated in 3.2.2 and 3.2.3 will only be permitted to compete in ONE of the competitions concerned. The competition to be retained is randomly drawn electronically. Competitors will be disqualified in the non-retained competitions.

3.2.5 Competitors / individual members of Duo / Group entries are allowed to perform only once in the same class. Violation of this rule will lead to disqualification of the competitions concerned.

3.3 Competition Materials 3.3.1 Sources of set pieces have been printed in the Syllabus, and in most classes

the ISBN and names of publishers have been provided. Members / Competitors must make their own effort to obtain the required materials for competitions. Members / Competitors are advised to allow enough time for ordering the required materials. All members / competitors should check against the full set of pieces kept in the Association.

3.3.2 If competitors fail to perform the whole piece during the competition, they will only be given comments. Neither marks nor certificates will be awarded to them.

3.3.3 Addition, removal, change or repetition of any words / phrases / lines of a set piece is prohibited. Competitors violating this rule will have their marks affected. (See 3.4.9 for specific rules for Harmonic Speaking classes.)

3.3.4 Competitors performing a wrong piece or a piece of different version from the set piece / own choice piece submitted will only be given comments. Neither marks nor certificates will be awarded to them.

3.3.5 Own Choice Pieces / Original Works 3.3.5.1 Members / Competitors are required to use the Own Choice Form

(OC Form) / Work Submission Form (WS Form)# for submission of the titles, pieces and original works to the Association in person or by a delegated person on or before the specified deadlines. The Association will issue a confirmation slip upon receipt of each title / piece / work. Only the one submitted first will be accepted for competition. Competitors failing to comply will be disqualified. Please refer to the following deadlines for action:

Class Title Full Text / Script + Deadline N195-196 8 Nov 2017 N202-205 6 Oct 2017 N206-208 6 Oct 2017 N212-213 6 Oct 2017 N216-218 6 Oct 2017 N219-222 6 Oct 2017

8 Nov 2017

Class Title Full Text / Script + Deadline N228-230 8 Nov 2017 N241-243 # 25 Oct 2017 + The full text / script with title and name of the author should be

typed out and printed on a piece of white blank A4 size paper. # Must submit with WS Form and the Original Composition

Declaration Form. The work with title but not the name of the author should be typed out in font Roman Times (point 12) and printed on a piece of white blank A4 size paper.

3.3.5.2 It is the responsibilities of members / competitors to ensure that Own Choice pieces are not selected from the pieces set in the current Syllabus. The current list of set pieces is posted on the Association website. Competitors violating this rule will only be given comments. Neither marks nor certificates will be awarded to them.

3.3.5.3 Own Choice pieces must not be used for more than one class. Competitors violating this rule will only be given comments. Neither marks nor certificates will be awarded to them.

3.3.5.4 The adjudicators will take into account the quality and appropriateness of Own Choice pieces selected / original work when awarding marks to the performances.

3.3.5.5 The adjudicators / Association reserve(s) the right in any circumstances to reject any pieces / original work which are considered to be inappropriate for performance. The concerned competitors are disqualified and not permitted to participate in the competitions.

3.3.5.6 Adjudicators reserve the right to stop performances which exceed the specified time limit and marks will be affected.

3.3.5.7 All photocopies submitted for adjudicators’ reference will be destroyed after the Festival except for Classes N241-243.

3.3.6 It is the competitors’ responsibilities to observe and comply with the copyright law, and ensure their rights of using the materials. The Association will not be held responsible for any infringement of copyright.

3.3.7 Competitors who use downloaded versions of electronic books for prose reading classes must show the adjudicator the proof of permission to use the materials at the competition. Apart from this, the materials must be properly bound for use in the performance. Competitors who violate this rule will only be given comments. Neither marks nor certificates will be awarded to them.

3.3.8 All text in brackets in the set pieces needs to be recited unless otherwise specified. Competitors who fail to do so will have their marks being affected.

3.4 Rules for Different Classes 3.4.1 All classes must be performed from memory at the competition, except solo

prose reading classes and limited parts as specified in the thematic group speaking classes. Competitors violating this rule will only be given comments. Neither marks nor certificates will be awarded to them.

3.4.2 The restriction on the number of members in a group / team must be observed. Those failing to comply will only be given comments. Neither marks nor certificates will be awarded to them.

3.4.3 Competitors must fully familiarize themselves with the class requirements given under the respective classes in the Syllabus.

3.4.4 Open Classes: The standard of adjudication for these classes is highly maintained. These classes are for students who are native speakers using English as their first language.

3.4.5 Non-Open Classes (only for non-native English speakers): These classes are for students who are non-native speakers using English as a second language. Competitors violating this rule will have their marks being affected.

3.4.6 Verse or Prose Speaking Classes: Poems and Prose pieces must be memorised and recited in these classes. Competitors failing to comply will only be given comments. Neither marks nor certificates will be awarded to them.

3.4.7 Prose Reading Classes: In these classes, the pieces must be presented as reading aloud from the text of the book which should be held in hand(s) and referred to. It should not be a memorised presentation. Competitors violating this rule will only be given comments. Neither marks nor certificates will be awarded to them. Competitors should prepare the whole set piece from which an extract will be selected by the adjudicator at the time of the competition.

3.4.8 Choral Speaking Classes: In these classes, each group must comprise 30 to 50 competitors and perform without a conductor. Competitors violating this rule will only be given comments. Neither marks nor certificates will be awarded to them. Competitors in these classes may adopt variations of movements, music (no electronic equipment is allowed), costumes and props (See 4.3).

3.4.9 Harmonic Speaking Classes: In these classes, each group must comprise 25 to 50 competitors and perform with or without a student / teacher conductor. Competitors violating this rule will only be given comments. Neither marks nor certificates will be awarded to them. Harmonic Speaking stresses the unison and part speaking of the poem without the addition of any sound effects. The blending of voices interpreting the words, with supportive facial expression, are the sole criteria for these classes, though suitable grouping patterns are permitted. The poem

must be spoken as written with no alteration to the original text. Action, gesture, mime, movement, costumes and props are not permitted. Competitors violating these rules will only be given comments. Neither marks nor certificates will be awarded to them. Rules 3.1.14 and 3.3.3 do not apply to these classes.

3.4.10 Bible Speaking Class: In this class, the copy of the set text is obtainable from the Association. Competitors must recite the set text during competition. Competitors violating this rule will have their marks being affected.

3.4.11 Public Speaking Classes: Please see the rules specified for these classes.

3.4.12 Words and Movements and Thematic Group Speaking Classes: Hand props and costumes are permitted in these classes. The use of costumes may contribute to the overall performance, but the quality of speech, acting, originality and creativity are highly regarded. Music and sound effects are allowed (See 3.4.3). Heavy / Fixed settings or electronic projection are not permitted whereas some small and easily movable furniture items may be allowed.

3.4.13 Drama Classes: Including Shakespeare Monologue, Solo Dramatic Performance, Dramatic Duologue, Improvised Dramatic Scene, Dramatic Scene and Rehearsed Original Scene Classes. Hand props and costumes are permitted in these classes. The use of costumes may contribute to the overall performance, but the quality of speech, acting, originality and creativity are highly regarded. Music and sound effects are allowed (See 3.4.3). Heavy / Fixed settings or electronic projection are not permitted whereas some small and easily movable furniture items may be allowed. Competitors should memorise the drama scripts. During the performance, they should not hold the scripts in hand. For Dramatic Scenes (219-222) and Rehearsed Original Scenes (228-230) classes, a prompter is optional. Competitors violating these rules will have their marks being affected.

3.4.14 Original Poetry Composition Classes 3.4.14.1 These classes are intended for solo entry only. Competitors

violating this rule will be disqualified. 3.4.14.2 Poems with lines exceeding the line limit specified will have

marks being affected. 3.4.14.3 Poems submitted must be original, unedited, unaided, unpublished

and solely written for the competition. Competitors violating this rule will be disqualified.

3.4.14.4 Poems must be submitted with the required documents. Competitors violating this rule will be disqualified.

3.4.14.5 Poems submitted cannot be changed and will not be returned.

3.4.14.6 Submission of the poems implies consent from the members / competitors authorizing the Association to use / edit the poems for performance, publication and publicity in the media identified by the Association.

3.5 Rules at Competition Venues 3.5.1 Admission

3.5.1.1 Competitors should arrive at the competition venue to report to the Festival assistants at the Reporting Time specified on the Competition Notifications.

3.5.1.2 Competitors of solo classes, duo classes and Public Speaking Team classes can each be accompanied by a maximum of one adult (either a teacher or a parent). In a group class competition, each team can be accompanied by a maximum of five teachers / staff members.

3.5.1.3 Seating priority will always be given to competitors of that competition. When there are no sufficient seats at a particular competition venue, teachers or parents accompanying the competitors may not be admitted.

3.5.1.4 In a competition in which the competitors are divided into batches, the competitors and their accompanying teachers or parents are admitted to the competition venue only during the assigned time slot. They must leave at the end of their time slot.

3.5.1.5 Non-competitors under the age of six will not be admitted to any competition venues.

3.5.1.6 In accordance with the limitations / requirements of the venue or request of adjudicators, the Festival assistants are authorised to take charge of the seating and admission arrangements in the competition venues.

3.5.2 Practice is strictly prohibited at the competition venues and the surrounding areas.

3.5.3 Rearrangement of any setup and facilities is prohibited. The Association reserves the right to claim compensation from those who damage the venue facilities.

3.5.4 Choir risers of three tiers with four to five blocks fixed together will be provided for Choral Speaking and Harmonic Speaking classes. No electricity, props, equipment, backdrops, etc. will be provided.

3.5.5 Anyone including competitors who causes undue disturbance in competition venues may be asked to leave the venue. If the person is a competitor, he / she may only be given comments. Neither marks nor certificates will be awarded to him / her.

3.5.6 The use of communication or electronic devices is prohibited at the competition venue. Photo-taking and audio or video recording of any part of a competition (including the time for verbal comments from adjudicators

and the announcement of results) are also prohibited. Anyone who violates this rule may be asked to leave the venue. If the person is a competitor, he / she will only be given comments. Neither marks nor certificates will be awarded to them.

3.5.7 People attending the competitions should take care of their personal belongings. The Association will not be responsible for any loss.

3.5.8 The Association does not offer parking spaces at any venues. 3.6 Prize-winners’ Recitals

Prize-winners who are recommended by adjudicators may be invited to perform at the Recitals. Without substantive reason, prize-winners who fail to comply will result in any of their awards being withheld and no certificates issued. The Association has the right to set the programmes of the Prize-winners’ Recitals to be held in any venues at any time. The Rules and Regulations of the current Hong Kong Schools Speech Festival should also apply to the Recitals. Prize-winners must observe the requirements including the restrictions on the number of performers in group / team classes, etc.

4. JUDGING CRITERIA 4.1 Adjudication will be based on the overall performance of the competitors,

including: Clarity of speech Interpretation Audience awareness

4.2 Specific judging criteria are set for Public Speaking Solo classes. Please see details stated in the class requirements of classes 193-196.

4.3 Competitors could decide whether or not their use of gestures, movements, music, costumes, props, etc. would enhance the quality of their performance.

4.4 The decision of the adjudicators on all artistic matters shall be final.

5. AWARDS and MARKS

5.1 Competitors will receive mark sheets at the end of the competition in which they

have performed. Competitors will bear the risk of losing the mark sheets if they

fail to collect them on the spot. Otherwise, members should bring their original

membership cards to the Association to collect the mark sheets for their students

from 9 January 2018 onwards. All unclaimed mark sheets will be destroyed before

the commencement of the next Speech Festival.

5.2 Placing will be awarded to the winners of each competition. However, in the cases

when the best performance in the group is not up to the standard to obtain 80 marks,

no placing, trophy or prize will be awarded.

5.3 A pennant will be presented to the first-place winner of each class / group at the end

of the competition. Each duo will be awarded two pennants.

5.4 Certificates of three levels will be awarded to competitors for their achievement.

Certificates Marks obtained

Honours 90 or over

Merit 80 - 89

Proficiency 75 - 79

5.5 Only members should collect the certificates. They are responsible for

distributing the certificates to their students. Certificates can be collected between

March and May 2018; prior booking has to be made on the Association website

between March and April 2018. The exact dates and details will be released on the

Association website. University / Post-secondary students entering the Festival on

their own should bring their original mark sheets to the Association to collect the

certificates in May 2018. Late collection after the aforesaid period or request for

re-issuance of certificates, if accepted, will be subject to a handling fee.

5.6 Other trophies / prizes should be collected within the specified period stated in the

Prize Collection Notification. Late collection, if permitted, will be subject to a

handling fee.

5.7 If a trophy / prize is damaged or lost after collection, no replacement can be made.

6. OTHER ISSUES

6.1 The decision of the Executive Committee on all matters arising from administrative

issues and competitions, including the interpretation of the Rules and Regulations,

shall be final.

6.2 Complaints and Suggestions

Apart from students attending university / post-secondary institutes, complaints

must be made in writing and submitted to the Complaint Handling Committee of

the Association by the member that entered the competitor(s) to the Festival and

reach the Association no later than 9 January 2018. The members will be notified

of the result in writing on or before 30 April 2018.

If the member is a School Member, the submission must:

(i) bear the signature of the school principal or the responsible teacher;

(ii) bear the school chop; and

(iii) include the membership number and correspondence address of the school.

If the member is an Associate Member, the submission must:

(i) bear the signature of the member ; and

(ii) include the membership number and correspondence address of the member.

If students attending universities / post-secondary institutes would like to give

comments, the submission must include:

(i) the reference number; and

(ii) correspondence address.

6.3 In the case where a competition / activity must be cancelled because of class suspension ordered by the Education Bureau, no alternative arrangement will be made and entry fees will not be refunded. Information about specific arrangements for competitions under school suspension in an epidemic / rainstorm / tropical cyclone will be uploaded on the Association website in due course. Please refer to Annex 4 / Annex 5 / Annex 6.

6.4 Anyone suffering from epidemic must not attend any festival competitions or activities.

Only members of the Association can enroll in all activities held by the Association. All

related services (such as submission of entry forms, collection of competition materials

available at the Association, checking competition materials at the Association, etc.) will

only be provided to members / persons who can present a valid and original membership

card.

For membership details, please visit the Association website.

Source: Website of Education Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government

Annex 1 List of Universities and Post-secondary Institutes Eligible to Enter the

Speech Festival

The version released on the Association website on 31 August 2017 shall be final. 1. Caritas Bianchi College of Careers2. Caritas Institute of Community Education3. Caritas Institute of Higher Education4. Centennial College5. Chu Hai College of Higher Education6. City University of Hong Kong7. City University of Hong Kong - Community College of City University8. City University of Hong Kong - School of Continuing and Professional Education9. Gratia Christian College10. Hang Seng Management College11. HKCT Institute of Higher Education12. HKU SPACE Po Leung Kuk Stanley Ho Community College13. Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts14. Hong Kong Art School (a division of Hong Kong Arts Centre)15. Hong Kong Baptist University16. Hong Kong Baptist University - College of International Education17. Hong Kong Baptist University - School of Continuing Education18. Hong Kong College of Technology19. Hong Kong Institute of Technology20. Hong Kong Nang Yan College of Higher Education21. Hong Kong Shue Yan University22. Lingnan University23. Lingnan University - Lingnan Institute of Further Education24. SCAD Foundation (Hong Kong) Limited25. The Chinese University of Hong Kong26. The Chinese University of Hong Kong - School of Continuing and Professional Studies27. The Education University of Hong Kong28. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University29. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University - Hong Kong Community College30. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University - School of Professional Education and Executive

Development31. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology32. The Open University of Hong Kong33. The Open University of Hong Kong - Li Ka Shing Institute of Professional and Continuing

Education34. The University of Hong Kong35. The University of Hong Kong - HKU School of Professional and Continuing Education36. The University of Hong Kong - HKU SPACE Community College37. Tung Wah College38. Vocational Training Council - Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education / Hong Kong

Design Institute39. Vocational Training Council - School for Higher and Professional Education40. Vocational Training Council - Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong41. Yew Chung Community College42. YMCA College of Careers

Annex 2 Important Dates to be Noted

Events DatesFestival Syllabus released on the Association website 9 June 2017 Festival Syllabus (printed copy) available for members to collect at the Association office

from 12 July 2017

Entry Forms (printable version) available for members to download from the Association website

21 August to 19 September 2017

Submission of Entry Forms – on-line 28 August (10:00 a.m.) to 21 September 2017 (5:00 p.m.)

Submission of Entry Forms – in person 1 to 19 September 2017 (5:00 p.m.)

Deadline of submission of cheque payment for e-Entry Forms submitted to On-line Enrollment System

26 September 2017

Deadline of submission of Own Choice Pieces & Original Works (Please refer to Rules and Regulations 3.3.5 for details)

N195-196 - title

N202-205, N206-208, N212-213, N216-218 - title & full text / script

N219-222 - title - script

N228-230 - script only

N241-243 - poems

Please refer to Rules and Regulations 3.3.6 of the “Chinese Speech Syllabus & Materials” for the deadline / details of submission of Own Choice pieces for Chinese Speech classes

8 November 2017

6 October 2017

6 October 2017 8 November 2017

8 November 2017

25 October 2017

Entry Form Receipts available for members to download from the Association website

from 24 October 2017

Festival Timetable to be released on the Association website 31 October to 8 November 2017

Competition Notifications available for members to collect at the Association office

from 31 October 2017 (10:00 a.m.)

Application for Alteration

31 October (10:00 a.m.) to 8 November 2017 (5:00 p.m.)

Festival Timetable - Revised Version to be released on the Association website

13 November 2017

Speech Festival Period 20 November to 20 December 2017

Collection of Certificates (Prior booking by members has to be made on the Association website between March and April)

March to May 2018

Every new posting on the Association website is set at 10:00 a.m. of the date.

Annex 3 Procedure for Alteration Application

The procedure stated below is to inform members / competitors on how to apply for alteration, how to complete the alteration application form, and items they can apply for alteration. Members / Competitors should study the procedure carefully before filling in the Alteration Application Form. 1 Items to be altered are restricted to:

1.1 Late Submission / Change of Own Choice Piece This does not apply to Classes N241-243 (Original Poetry Composition). Own Choice piece not yet submitted before the deadline or Change of Own Choice piece.

1.2 Change of Competitors’ Personal Information on the Entry Form Members / Competitors can apply for change of personal data filled in the Entry Form (e.g. misspelling of the competitor’s name; change of phone number or school name, etc). Request for alteration of competition district, class or competitor(s) will not be entertained.

1.3 Change of Class A change of class can be accepted only in the case where: a) A male competitor has entered a female class or vice versa; b) A competitor has entered a class not of his / her age group or education level; or c) A solo class competitor has entered a duo class.

1.4 Change of the Group in the Same Class This does not apply to Classes N241-243 (Original Poetry Composition). 1.4.1 A change of group in the same class can be accepted only in the case where:

a) Competition clashes with school examination, test and assessment; b) Competition clashes with dictation or other school events which affects the

competitor’s academic results; or c) Competition clashes with another competition of the Festival.

1.4.2 An alteration quota is set in each group. However, the quota may vary due to the number of entries in a class and the conditions of the venues. Therefore, applications are not guaranteed to be successful.

1.4.3 Members / Competitors should check on-line at http://www.hksmsa.org.hk the number of groups scheduled in the same class, when and where the competitions are held, etc., and then list on the form their order of preference to show which group they wish to be reallocated to.

1.5 Change of Competition Time of the Group Classes With reason(s) listed in 1.4.1, a school may be permitted to apply for a swap of competition order or competition group with another school in the same class. However, the school has to take their own step to liaise with another school so as to reach a mutual agreement between them on the swap before starting the application procedures.

2 Application Procedure 2.1 Members / Competitors should submit one Alteration Application Form per item of an

entry need to be altered. 2.2 The Association handles Alteration Application from 31 October (10:00 a.m.) to 8

November 2017 (5:00 p.m.) Late submission of Alteration Application Forms will not be processed. (Such restriction does not apply to change of personal data on the entry form stated in 1.2.)

2.3 Members / Competitors should submit the Alteration Application Form(s) in person or by a delegated person so that he / she will be informed immediately whether or not the application is accepted, and correspondingly be given a confirmation slip and an updated Competition Notification should the application be successful. Applications via phone call, email, fax or post, etc, will not be accepted.

2.4 Please bring along the following documents when submitting the application. Applications will not be processed if documents are missing: a) Entry Form Receipt / Competition Notification; b) Proof of the competitor(s)’ identity: A photocopy of Hong Kong ID Card / travel

document (for wrong age group) or student handbook (for wrong education level), etc; and

c) Other supporting documents: Examples of clashes and the supporting documents required are listed below. For more details, please refer to the Alteration Application Form. Templates for (ii) and (iii) can be downloaded from the Member’s Area of the Association website.

Example Other supporting documents

(i) Competition clashes with school examination, test or assessment

Examination timetable with the school chop / school calendar with the school chop (documentary proof of competitor attending class of the matching education level is mandatory if there is an indication of education level in the document submitted.)

(ii) Competition clashes with dictation or other school events, which would affect the competitor’s academic results

A supporting letter with the principal’s signature and school chop

(iii) Competition in Solo / Duo Class clashes with a Group Class competition

A supporting letter with the signature of the teacher responsible for the competition and school chop

(iv) Swapping groups between schools / intra-school due to (i) or (ii)

Supporting documents required in (i) / (ii); and a letter of consent by the two schools that agree to make the swap

2.5 Fees

2.5.1 Members / Competitors should pay a handling fee for each application except in the case when competition clashes with another competition of the Festival. For late submission / change of Own Choice piece, they should pay a surcharge equal to the amount of the entry fee of the class. For change of class, the surcharge is equal to the entry fee of the new class. Please refer to the Alteration Application Form for details.

2.5.2 Payment must be made in cash. 2.5.3 A confirmed alteration cannot be cancelled. Nevertheless, members /

competitors may make another application for alteration and pay the respective fees.

2.5.4 Under no circumstances would fees be refunded.

Annex 4 Competition Arrangements under School Suspension in an Epidemic

Classes Categorised by Education Level e.g. primary 3, secondary school

Classes Categorised by Age e.g. under age 15

School suspension at all kindergartens / primary schools / secondary schools

The Classes of competitions affected to be cancelled.

Competitors from suspended schools are not permitted to attend any competitions.

Competitions to be held as scheduled.

The competitors not from suspended schools can participate in the competitions; they will only receive comments and be awarded marks, but no placing will be awarded.

School suspension at individual kindergartens / primary schools / secondary schools

Competitions to be held as scheduled.

Competitors from suspended schools are not permitted to attend any competitions; if they do not follow this rule, they will be disqualified.

Class suspension at individual kindergartens / primary schools / secondary schools

Competitions to be held as scheduled.

Competitors from suspended classes of the school are not permitted to attend any competitions; if they do not follow this rule, they will be disqualified.

Note: Competitions scheduled to be held at the venues where school / class suspension being enacted may be cancelled.

** Information about specific arrangements for competitions during school / class suspension or

other circumstances will be uploaded on the Association website in due course **

No alternative arrangement (such as re-scheduling of competitions, re-allocating competitors to other groups, etc.) will be made for competitions which the Association must cancel or competitors do not attend as scheduled for any reasons.

Annex 5 Competition Arrangements under School Suspension during Rainstorm

If the Education Bureau announces school suspension before 6:45 a.m., the competitions of the affected classes of the day will be cancelled.

Warning signal issued before the reporting time

Classes Categorised by Education Level e.g. primary 3, secondary school

Classes Categorised by Age e.g. under age 15

Black Rainstorm Warning Signal / Red Rainstorm Warning Signal

If the signal is still in force: 1. at 6:45 a.m. - the competitions with the reporting time falling between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. will be cancelled 2. at 11:00 a.m. - the competitions with the reporting time falling between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.

will be cancelled 3. at 3:00 p.m. - the competitions with the reporting time falling between 5:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.

will be cancelled

Amber Rainstorm Warning Signal

The competitions of the kindergarten classes will be cancelled. The competitions of the primary school and the secondary school classes will be held as scheduled. Please refer to the time line stated in the box above.

The competitions will be held as scheduled.

Competitors should decide on whether they would attend the competitions or not, and should hold responsibility of their own safety. Note 1

(to be continued)

(continued)

Warning signal issued during a competition

All Classes

Rainstorm Warning Signal The competitions continue.

Competitors should decide on whether they should stay on for the competitions or not, and would hold responsibility of their own safety.

Note 1: The competitions will be held as scheduled even if some of the competitors of the classes categorised by age are kindergarten students.

* Some of the competition venues are on school premises. When the schools concerned are closed due to rainstorm, the competitions to be held at such venues may be cancelled. Please refer to the Association website when it happens.*

** Information about specific arrangements for competitions during school / class suspension or other circumstances will be uploaded on the Association website in due course **

No alternative arrangement (such as re-scheduling of competitions, re-allocating competitors to other groups, etc.) will be made for competitions which the Association must cancel or competitors do not attend as scheduled for any reasons.

Annex 6 Competition Arrangements under School Suspension during Tropical Cyclone

If the Education Bureau announces school suspension before 6:45 a.m., the competitions of the affected classes of the day will be cancelled.

Warning signal issued before the reporting time

Classes Categorised by Education Level e.g. primary 3, secondary school

Classes Categorised by Age e.g. under age 15

Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 Competitions to be cancelled if the signals are to be / still hoisted: 1. at 6:45 a.m. - for all competitions of the day 2. at 11:00 a.m. - for all competitions scheduled for 11:00 a.m. and the subsequent competitions of

the day 3. at 3:00 p.m. - for all competitions scheduled for 3:00 p.m. and the subsequent competitions of

the day

Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No 3

The competitions of the kindergarten classes will be cancelled. The competitions of the primary school and the secondary school classes will be held as scheduled. Please refer to the time line stated in the box above.

The competitions will be held as scheduled. Note 1

Competitors should decide on whether they would attend the competitions or not, and should hold responsibility of their own safety. Note 1

(to be continued)

(continued)

Warning signal issued during a competition

Classes Categorised by Education Level e.g. primary 3, secondary school

Classes Categorised by Age e.g. under age 15

Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 or higher

Competitions to be terminated. Note 2

Competitors should leave the venues as soon as possible.

Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 3

Competitions for kindergarten classes are to be terminated. Competitors should leave the venues as soon as possible. Competitions for primary and secondary classes to be continued.

Competitions continue.

Competitors should decide on whether they should stay on for the competitions or not and should hold responsibility of their own safety.

Note 1: The competitions will be held as scheduled even if some of the competitors of the classes categorised by age are kindergarten students. 2: Competitors who have performed will only receive comments and be awarded marks, but no placing will be awarded. The Association

or the person-in-charge of the venue will notify the Festival assistant of the exact time to discontinue the competition.

** Information about specific arrangements for competitions during school / class suspension or other circumstances will be uploaded on the Association website in due course **

No alternative arrangement (such as re-scheduling of competitions, re-allocating competitors to other groups, etc.) will be made for competitions which the Association must cancel or competitors do not attend as scheduled for any reasons.